As we head into convention season, we want to once again share this word of encouragement from Laura,
for all of the moms who are considering whether to start (or continue) the journey of homeschooling.
Homeschooling is overwhelming.
There. I said it.
It is hard and stressful and difficult.
But doesn’t that describe parenting in general? And really and truly our own parents were right: anything worth it is worth working for, and anything worth working for is inherently hard. And if it were easy, wouldn’t everybody being doing it? I’ve squeezed in lots of parent-isms here, but they’re all true!
When it comes to the education of our children, I’ve learned that teaching them academically is actually an extension of what we are already doing as their mommies. They know how to hold a spoon, speak a language, and brush their teeth because we taught them. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are the next steps in what we are already doing.
You can always pay someone else to give your children the academic instruction, train them in life-skills, or just to take care of their physical needs. But you cannot ever pay someone to love your child. You love your children.
And that one truth separates you uniquely from any other teacher, caregiver, babysitter, or tutor on the planet.
Because you love your children, you know your children. You know what tickles them, what makes them tick, and certainly what ticks them off!
Being armed with that arsenal of information – this inherent knowing – means you are uniquely equipped to know when to use humor to lighten the moment, cajoling with fun. You know when to buckle down and enforce justice to see a task through. And of course, you know when it’s time to just stop, drop, and pray (or rest, go for a bike ride, or work off steam by cleaning the bathroom).
You truly are the ONE when it comes to your own child! You can do this, Mom. Of all the women in the world, God chose YOU to be the mom for your children. That fact makes yuu uniquely qualified and equipped for this high calling.
Are you in the early years of your homeschooling journey?
Find for more inspiration from veteran home educators in our ‘Newbies’ archives!
Visit them at www.AReasonFor.com to discover excellent, scripture-based resources
for Science, Spelling, Guided Reading, and Handwriting!
